Bama softball bats come alive late in 12-0 shutout over Southern Miss

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Alabama's 40th win of
the season came in convincing fashion, as the Crimson Tide scored nine runs in
the final two innings to earn a 12-0 shutout win over Southern Miss on the
road.

Alabama (40-8) put on an offensive showcase
against Southern Miss (22-24), scoring 12 runs off 10 hits with five Golden
Eagle fielding errors helping the Tide's cause. Kallie Case went 3-5 out of the
two-hole with three RBI while Haylie McCleney and Chaunsey Bell each earned a
pair of hits. Marisa Runyon hit her second career homer, as she has cleared the
fence in two of her last three games. Sydney Littlejohn (9-1) earned the win in
the circle with 5.0 strong innings, while Leslie Jury threw 2.0 scoreless
relief innings behind her. Southern Miss starter Samantha Robles (6-11) went
the distance in the losing effort, allowing 12 runs though only four of them
were earned.

Alabama put three runs on the board in the top
of the second, as McCleney turned on a ball and sent a double to the
right-field wall, scoring Danae Hays and putting two in scoring position with
two away. Case drove them both in with a single up the middle to make it 3-0,
as Case was caught stealing in the next at-bat to end the half-inning.

The offenses were relatively quiet after that
point, as neither team was able to add any runs to the board until the top of
the sixth inning. With two outs in the inning, Hays grounded out to third but a
fielding error extended the inning and allowed Danielle Richard to score from
second, making it a 4-0 game. With two on and two out, Runyon entered to
pinch-hit and cleared the bases with a three-run homer over the right-field
fence that made it a 7-0 ballgame. A popup out of bounds ended the half-inning
with Alabama holding the significant seven-run lead.

Alabama stayed hot in the seventh inning,
scoring five runs to really put the game out of reach. An error put runners at
the corners with nobody out and Ryan Iamurri, pinch-hitting, popped an infield
single to the shortstop to score one. A single by Andrea Hawkins loaded the
bases and, later in the inning with one away, a groundout scored another to put
Alabama up 9-0. Jordan Patterson, a defensive replacement the last half-inning,
scored two more as she poked a single into right field, stretching the lead to
11-0, while McCleney drove in the final run of the game with an infield single
to make it 12-0.

This weekend, Alabama plays its final home
series of the 2014 regular season as the Tide welcomes the Georgia Bulldogs
(38-9, 11-7 SEC). Game one is on Thursday, April 24 at 7 p.m. CT and will be
aired live on ESPN. Beth Mowins, Jessica Mendoza and Michele Smith will call
the action. Game two is not televised and is set for a 6:30 p.m. CT start on
Friday, April 25. The series finale will be aired on ESPNU and is set for an 11
a.m. CT start as Mowins and Mendoza return to call the game. Fans can also
listen to all three games locally in Tuscaloosa on 95.3 FM, while Friday's game
will also be available on our Crimson Tide Sports Network radio affiliates
throughout the southeast.